July Newsletter – A union made 4th of July
Dear friends:
The Fourth of July is around the corner– a day for celebrating our independence, freedom and reflecting on our nation’s values of democracy and equality. We are also wrapping up Pride month at a time when many LGBTQ+ workers are facing unprecedented attacks.
For many of us, we are watching the news and questioning how our core, American values are suddenly hanging in the balance. Working families across Illinois are facing increased costs due to Trump’s reckless economic policies. They are watching the Trump administration roll back policies that keep us safe and healthy, while they fire the federal workers who enforce those that remain. Many are wondering how, since January, our country has moved so far from the principles of freedom and democracy enshrined in our constitution nearly 250 years ago.
At a time of widespread backlash against LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights, it is especially important that we are leveraging our union power at the bargaining table to fight for workplace justice for all workers. As we get ready to celebrate our independence, let’s also remember the LGBTQ+, immigrant, and all workers who are still fighting for basic dignity in this country.
If you are wondering how you can support your colleagues, we recommend resources from Pride at Work and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) to ensure we consider the diverse needs of all workers. We all have a role to play in creating a fair and just workplace — whether it is ensuring we have inclusive contract language and healthcare for our LGBTQ+ siblings or providing reliable information and resources as many workers, regardless of their documentation status, face threats of deportation.
The American labor movement has always stood for, and will always fight for, the basic dignities and freedoms that our country was built upon. Every day, workers demonstrate their freedom to organize by fighting back and winning. In fact, after AFGE, AFSCME, SEIU, IAM, and NNU sued the Trump administration over a union-busting executive order, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction ruling that the Trump administration likely violated the law by stripping nearly a million federal employees of their union rights. This is a huge win for workers — demonstrating that the collective power of working people can and does work to uphold the law.
Fundamental freedoms like the right to organize are what our country, and our state, are built upon. While times are challenging, the labor movement is standing strong and upholding the nation’s core values as we fight for basic freedoms like family sustaining wages, the right to a safe workplace, dignity for all workers, and so much more.
In solidarity,
Tim Drea and Pat Devaney
P.S: Will your holiday cookout be #unionmade? Find everything you need for a union made Fourth of July here.
